Pressure-regulator.



1. SWAN. PRESSURE REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I5. I91]- I Patented Feb. 20, 1919.

I 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

J. H. SWAN.

PRESSURE REGULATOR. APPLICATION FILED 1AN.I5. 1911.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

2SHEETSSHEET 2.

JOHN H. SWAN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PRESSURE-RE GULAT OR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Application filed January 15, 1917. Serial No. 142,469.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. SWAN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressure-Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved means for controlling't-he operation of a valve opperating motor.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved pressure operated means for controlling the operation and differential action of a valve motor both in its working and exhaust strokes.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a pressure regulating board provided with the present improvements.

Fig. 2 is a detail in vertical section of a valve mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a type of valve motor which may be employed in connection with the present improved structure.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view in perspective of the regulating board and various pipe connections.

ig. 5 is a detail, partly in section, of the valve for controlling the flow of air t a pressure operated motor.

In general, this invention relates to controlling devices for a valve motor in a steam line, said devices being operated by air pressure and controlled by steam pressure.

In the drawings, a steam suppl conduit 1 is shown provided with a valve of well known construction for regulatingthe flow of steam in the conduit 1 or'the pressure existing in the low pressure side 3 of 'the conduit. The valve 2 is normally urged toward its closed position by a spring 4, and a"- pressure operated motor 5 is arranged to open the valve against the action of the spring 4. Air under pressure is supplied to the motor 5 from a tank 6. A pipe 7 from said tank communicates with a transverse pipe 8 on the regulating board 9. The pipe 8,through a valve construction 10, communicates with a transverse pipe 11 which is connected by the pipe 12 to the motor 5..

The board 9 is provided with pressure gages l3 and 14 for respectively indicating the air pressure at opposite sides of the .valve structure 10. The gages 13 and 14 are mounted at the upper ends of vertical pipes 15 and 16, the pipe 15 being in communication with the pipe 7.through a T 17 and a T 18, while the pipe 16 communiclates with the pipe 12 through the cross 19. Blow-off valves 20 and 21 are provided at the lower ends of pipes 15 and 16. A pipe 22 leads from the low pressure side 3 of conduit 1 to the upper portion of a hollow cylinder 23 mounted on the regulator board 9. The pressure gage 24 communicates with the cylinder 23 and therefore serves to indicate the pressure or amount ofvacuum occuring therein and in the portion 3 of conduit 1.

A diaphragm 25 at the lower end of cylinder 23 is movable downwardly under the action of the steam pressure occurring in the cylinder. Clamped to the diaphragm by disks 26 is a bar 27 which is slidable in a bearing 28 provided in the frame 29, the latter serving as a support for the cylinder 23 and the valve body 10, which is threaded into the lower end of a yoke-shaped portion 29.1 of the frame 29. The part 29.1 is shown partly broken away in Fig. 1, for the purpose of more clearly showing the valve body 10. A yoke 30 is hung from the lower end of bar 27 and carries threaded into its lower end a centrally located adjustable member 31 adapted to engage and move the piston 32 upwardly upon a certain reduction in pressure occurring within the cylinder 23. Such upward movement of the rod 27 andparts connected therewith is efi'ected by means of the air pressure on the lower side of the diaphragm '25, and by the weighted lever 33 pivoted at 34 to a dependin bracket 35 of the frame member .29. The lever 33 has a slot and pin connection 36 with the bar 27, and the adjustable weight 37 and removable weights 38 serve to rock the lever in the proper direction to lift the diaphragm 25 against the pressure occurring in the cylinder 23.

The lower surface of the diaphragm 25 is exposed to the atmosphere, and accordingly, if it is desired to maintain a certain degree of vacuum in the conduit 3 instead of pressures above atmospheric, the lever 33 is weighted at its right-hand end by removlever would normally urge the diaphragm downwardly against the atmospheric pressure on the lower side of the diaphragm 25.

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The piston 32 cooperates with a valve 41 for regulating the flow of air into the pipes 11 and 12 to the pressure operated motor 5. The piston 32 and valve 41 are respectively slidable in the cylindrically recessed portions 42 and 43 of the valve body 44. The valve 41 is constructed as shown in Fig. 5, having an enlarged portion 45 for engaging the seat 46 in the valve body 44. Below the enlarged portion 45 the valve is provided with longitudinal channels 47 for the purpose of permitting the air to pass downwardly through the recess or passage 43. The air is permitted to pass downwardly through the passage 43 only when the valve is lifted from the seat 46 against the action of spring 48. When the valve is in its upper position, air under pressure may pass from the pipe 8 through the drilled openings 49 and 50 into the cut-away portion 51 sin-founding the seat 46. The air then passes around the seat downwardly through channels 47 into a chamber 52 and from there throu h the drilled apertures 53 and 54 into tie pipe 11 leading to the motor 5. Located between the lower end of valve 41 and piston 32 is a flexible diaphragm 55. The spring 48 normally holds the valve 41 in closed position, but upon a certain predetermined fall in pressure occurring within the cylinder 23, the weighted lever and atmospheric pressure on the lower side of the diaphragm 25 cause the rod 27 and yoke 30 secured thereto to move upwardly. The member 31 in the lower end of the yoke engages the piston 32, which in turn, through the diaphragm 55, lifts the valve 41 from its seat, permitting the air to pass from the pipe 8 in the pipe 11. The air pressure then builds up in the pressure motor 5, causing the latter to open the valve 2. This valve remains open until the pressure in the portion 3 of the conduit 1 and in cylinder 23 rises sufficiently to cause the diaphragm 25 to move downwardly and thus through the rod 27 and yoke 30 disengage the member 31 from the piston 32. The piston 32 being free to move downwardly permits the valve 41 to move to its closed position under the action of the spring 48. The supply of air to the motor 5 is in this manner discontinued and the motor may exhaust through the pipes 12 and 11 into the chamber -52 and then to the outer atmosphere upwardly through a central bore 56 in the valve 41. The valve body 10 is provided with an apertured cap 57 at its upper end which provides communication between raeaeea the hollow valve 41 and the outer atmosphere. When the piston 32 is in its upper position, by pressing against the diaphragm 55., it causes the diaphragm to close the lower end of hollow valve 41, whereas when the piston is in its lower position, the more or less compressed air in the motor 5 may escape into the hollow valve 41 around its lower end.

In the operation of the device, assuming that the conduit 1 is a supply header for fluid operated apparatus such as steam heating coils, etc., in which it is desired to maintam some predetermined pressure, the valve 2, under the action of the motor 5, controls the flow of steam through the conduit 1. The pressure desired in the portion 3 of the conduit 1 may be provided for by the adjustment of weight 37 and the number of weights 38 placed upon the support 39. If the pressure in the portion 3 of the conduit is below the desired amount, the valve 2 will be held in its open position, due to the fact that the weighted lever 33 urges the rod 27 upwardly and therefore through the yoke 30 and piston 32 raises the valve 41 from its seat 46 and in this manner permits air to flow from the pipe 8 along the grooves 47 in the side of the valve 41 into the chamber 52,and from there into the pipes 11 and 12 to motor 5. As the pressure in the portion 3 of conduit 1 rises to near that which it is desired to maintain in said portion, the pressure in the cylinder 23 increases, due to its communication with the portion 3 of the conduit through the pipe 22. The diaphragm 25 is forced do'wnwardly against the action of the weighted lever 33, thus lowering the rod 27 and the yoke 30 and the adjustable member 31. The piston 32 falls by gravity, permitting the diaphragm 55 to move downwardly and the valve 41 to move to its closed position under the action of the spring 48. The supply of air under pressure to the motor 5 being dis.- continued, the valve 2 may close under the action of the spring 4, and the motor exhausts through pipes 12 and 11 into the chamber 52, the hollow valve 41, and to the outer atmosphere through the cap 57.

If the apparatus is set to operate under certain degrees of vacuum, the operation is in all respects similar to that above described, except that the diaphragm 25 moves downwardly upon a certain decrease in vacuum in the cylinder 23, such decrease permitting the weights on the right-hand end of the lever 33 to force the diaphragm 25 downwardly and thus through the rod 27 and yoke 30 permit the piston 32 to lower away from the valve 41.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this 'invention as de fined by the following claims.

I claim; I 1. A regulator of the class described, ar-

ranged to provide a fluid inlet and fluid out-.

let, a valve located between said fluid inlet and outlet, a seat for said valve, said valve having an enlarged portion adapted to engage said seat and'being hollow to provide an exhaust outlet, a diaphragm adapted to engage one end of the valve for thepurpose of closing said exhaust outlet, and means for forcing said diaphragm against the end'of said valve to close said exhaust outlet and raise the enlarged portion of the valve from said seat. 2. A regulator of the class described, ar-

ranged to provide a fluid inletand outlet, a

valve adapted to prevent the passage of fluid from, said inlet to said outlet, said valve having a assageway therethrough normally providing communication between the outer atmosphere and said outlet, and fluid pressure operated means for closing said assageway and for lifting the valve irom its seat.

3. A device ofthe class described, com-' prising a valve body, said body being ar- 4. A regulator of the class described, ar

ranged to provide a fluid inlet and fluid outlet, a valve located between said fluid inlet and outlet, said valve being hollow to provide an exhaust outlet, a diaphragm adapted to engage one end of the valve for the purpose of closing said exhaust outlet,

and means for forcing said diaphragm against theend' of said valvetoclose said exhaust outlet and to shift the valve bodily.

JOHN H. SWAN. 1

Si ed tit- Chicago this 9th day of Jan. I 

